Some, not all, final thoughts

A writer from Lancaster Farming reached out to our group asking if anyone wanted to be interviewed for an article about us. I chose to send an email with my responses to his questions, and it was a great opportunity to reflect on the journey and what I'd learned. I thought I'd share my answers to some of the questions:

What have been some of the highlights on this tour for you so far? What specifically about the classroom instruction to date has made this worth your while so far? What about the farm stops? What particular visit sticks out for you at this point, and why?
The extreme diversity of places we've seen and people we've spoken with really stands out to me. We're visiting every corner of the food system in Vermont, as we visit the physical corners of Vermont as a state. We've met with state organizations, nonprofits, professors, masters candidates, researchers, school garden coordinators, co-op grocery markets, dairy farms, cheesemakers, agroecologists, carbon experts, book publishers like Chelsea Green - the list goes on. It's truly amazing that we've had access to such busy, important people who have been instrumental in advancing Vermont's food system to the point where it is today.

In the classroom, we hear lectures from people who are so knowledgeable about their subjects, and who are so excited to be talking to us. Everyone is so interested in knowing who we are, where we come from, and why we're interested in what they have to say. I think everyone in VT involved with food is so excited that other people from outside VT want to learn about food and make a difference in food systems, and that shows through when they give their presentations. Our instructors also do a great job of debriefing, making connections across lectures/visits, and bringing us back to big-picture perspectives.

My favorite farm visit was Cedar Circle Farm. We visited after 5 days on dairy farms - I had never been to a dairy farm before this trip, so those visits were really eye-opening, but after so many days, I was sick of the smell of manure and ready to talk about produce and policy again. Cedar Circle was such a beautiful place - the greenhouses and produce fields boasted such perfect flowers, greens, and strawberries. They have so many great programs - a farm stand, a CSA, direct sales at 4 different farmers' markets, education programs for both community members and their employees, a commercial kitchen, pick-your-own, and two annual festivals. It was inspiring to see how many different initiatives they take on, and I can't stress enough how beautiful their kale, spinach, and other greens were (I've attached a photo).

What are you learning about VT agriculture that you hope to return and apply to your studies? And how do you feel this trip benefit you and your work in the future?
I'm definitely learning a lot about the production side of food. I grew up in the suburbs of NYC, very disconnected from agriculture or where my food came from, so seeing dairy and vegetable farms has been eye-opening. I've always known that I would need to learn more about production or spend time working on a farm to really understand how to design food policy, so the visits have been really helpful. We're also talking a lot about the importance of support from the VT Legislature, Agency of Ag, and other government organizations and elected officials - if I do work in food policy, I know I will need to be working for or with people who value sustainable food systems, want to support producers, and care about food access for low-income or marginalized populations.

Why is this experience important to you? Why do you believe programs like this generally benefit agriculture in the U.S.
I have a few scattered answers to this one:

• Vermont is doing a great job figuring out the true meaning of collaboration. This program is proof that partnerships among higher education institutions can lead to valuable experiences, relationship-building, and innovative thinking. It's also awesome to have experiential learning available to the general public outside of those institutions. 
• It's been amazing spending so much time with the 9 other people participating in this study tour with me. We learn so much from each other, and we all have such different backgrounds that we bring interesting perspectives to the table and have such rich conversations, whether about food or our lectures or anything not related to food. 
• We're learning a lot about what's working in VT, and many of us have plans bring ideas back to where we live. One participant who's particularly interested in agricultural education has been asking very specific questions and taking note of the most effective ag education programs we've seen so she can teach classes or maybe start a program or organization in her county in Virginia. 
• I think the key here is information sharing. The universities/colleges involved with the consortium are sharing information and best practices with each other, as well as with us. Then we have this innovative information and take it outside of VT - to NY, Philadelphia, Virginia, New Hampshire, Boston, Ohio, and wherever we may end up in the future.